Transport yourself to summer in New England with the latest brand identity for Fishers Island, designed by Brooklyn-based agency, Tavern.
Fishers Island Lemonade embodies quintessential summers by the sea in preppy New England, as it was developed while founder Bronya Shillo was bartending at the storied Pequot Inn on the island. Tavern’s mission was to build upon this foundation, creating a brand experience that resonates with consumers by tapping into that classic coastal aesthetic that feels fresh yet familiar. By infusing its brand elements with a new sense of elevated escapism, Tavern has evolved Fishers Island Lemonade from an iconic drinks brand to a heritage lifestyle brand by tapping into modern Americana.
“With Fishers Island’s new ‘Worth the Squeeze’ platform and tagline, we first started by recognizing that heritage brands don’t beg for attention; they command it,” says Tavern founder and creative director Mike Perry. “You’re selling a lifestyle, and that tagline captures the idea that both Fishers Island and its lemonade are worth that little extra effort and time that go into a luxurious indulgence. With that foundation in mind, we knew we wanted a branded lifestyle photoshoot that elevated the brand’s visual identity.”
Inspired by vintage J Crew and LL Bean catalogs, the shoot features photography from Cole Wilson. It depicts a series of vignettes of a long summer weekend transporting people to a Fishers Island state of mind, no matter where they are in the world. What’s more, everything is in motion and consistently reminds viewers of their own favorite vacation destination by playing the greatest hits from this idyllic getaway.
Grounding the new visual identity system in the brand’s existing assets, Tavern further elevated the brand world without losing its essence. The yellow and white stripes, so prominent in the original identity, were reimagined as a subtle border along the top of certain images as if looking out at the scene from under a striped beach umbrella. The packaging also inspired a series of illustrations reminiscent of the sentimental memorabilia one might find in a vacation destination gift shop. A Fishers Island monogram also borrows from the original logo to add more flexibility and depth to the system as a tertiary brand asset.
Building on the creative inspiration for the visual identity system and photoshoot, Tavern translated the long weekend concept into the tagline and evergreen brand platform, “Worth the Squeeze,” which explains that the trip to the island and the process of making the lemonade itself are both worth the extra effort. That call-to-action can also be activated year-round to build associations between Fishers Island Lemonade and returning to your favorite getaway. Targeting folks headed for their own weekend getaway, they crafted a flexible line: “Make X worth the squeeze” and turned it into a plug-and-play using local vernacular for specific destinations, i.e., Make Schlepping to the Hamptons worth the squeeze. The platform can be creatively iterated across various destinations, popping up out of home along highways, bus terminals, and beyond to put travelers into a Fishers Island state of mind.
Celebrating the 10th anniversary and launch of the new brand world, Fishers Island Lemonade hosted a schooner party in the Hamptons on National Lemonade Day (August 20). The event embodied the spirit of the brand; soaking in summer days by the sea with friends, family, and unforgettable flavor that is worth the squeeze.